Our own DPs, already in the air.
13 of our W2 staff DPs are certified drone pilots, so the aerial is flown by the same crew shooting the rest of your day. No second vendor, no separate call time, no waiting on a drone company to show up. We have billed drone work on 213 shoots across 155 cities nationwide since 2022, and in 9 countries overseas.
Aerial establishing shots, reveals and tracking work, cut from shoots across the country and overseas.
Straight out of our booking records. 111 of these shoots were staffed by an Assignment Desk staff DP.
213
shoots with drone or aerial coverage billed, 2022 to today
13
staff DPs certified to fly, in 13 markets
155
US cities flown, plus 9 countries overseas
72
clients have booked aerial coverage with us
Three patterns account for most of the aerial days we fly.
Our biggest aerial account runs a single staff DP with a drone through dozens of cities on one campaign. The same operator standard in Salt Lake City, Memphis, Providence, Albuquerque, Omaha and Toronto, so the aerials cut together like one shoot instead of thirty.
Most drone work is not a standalone booking. The DP is already on site with a full camera package and puts the drone up for the establishing shot and the reveal, which is why the aerial costs a line item instead of a second crew call.
Larger jobs and tighter airspace get a booked drone operator plus a visual observer or drone assist, with the flight plan and authorizations handled before the day. We have run Inspire 3 packages and two-pilot overtime days this way.
13 of our W2 staff crews are certified drone pilots, in 13 markets. Book one of them and the aerial is flown by the crew already on your shoot. Every name links to their profile.
35
More certified pilots on the freelance bench. Beyond the staff crews, 35 active crew members hold a Part 107 credential and 321 carry a drone in their kit. When a job needs a dedicated pilot, a heavier cinema platform or FPV, we book one out of that bench in the local market instead of flying a package across the country.
We scale the package to the shot instead of selling a fixed bundle.
The opener that puts the viewer somewhere. Usually flown by the DP already on the job, in the same visit as the interview and b-roll.
Following a vehicle, a runner or a build. Repeatable passes so the editor gets a choice of speed and height rather than one attempt.
Plants, campuses, farms, construction and venues shot in a grid so nothing is missed, with overhead and oblique angles of the same location.
Crowd scale, course layouts and arrival shots that a ground camera cannot show, flown inside whatever the venue and the airspace allow.
Urban centers and jobs near airports, where the flight plan, LAANC authorization and any local coordination is handled before the shoot day, not on it.
Cinema platforms such as the Inspire 3, a second set of eyes as visual observer, and drone assist for the days where the aerial is the point of the shoot.
Nationwide, in 50+ US markets. And overseas when the shoot travels.
Almost everything we fly is domestic. 155 US cities so far, from the top markets down to towns most crew companies will not send anyone to. A campaign that runs through several cities gets a local crew in each one, so the aerials match and you are not paying travel and per diem to move one pilot around the country. Our busiest markets for drone work are drone crews in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Dallas and Washington DC. Browse every city we cover or meet our 21 staff crews.
We also fly internationally. Drones up in 9 countries outside the US so far: Canada, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and India, plus Puerto Rico. A Fox Sports crew in Rosario, Argentina ran a Mavic 3 Pro alongside LiveU and Starlink. Hearst flew in Panama City and San Juan. Overseas aerials need the local rules handled before anyone takes off, and we book crews who already know them.
Aerial days most often book alongside directors of photography, camera operators and audio technicians. See also our interview crews, sports crews and the unscripted shows we crew.
Both work, and most of our aerial days are the first one. 13 of our staff DPs are certified pilots who fly their own aircraft, so the aerial is a line item on a crew day rather than a second call time and a second vendor. When the job needs a dedicated pilot, a heavier cinema platform or a visual observer, we book a certified pilot in that market alongside the camera crew.
Yes. Every commercial drone flight in the United States requires an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and any operator we put in the air holds the certification their airspace requires. 13 of our staff DPs are certified drone pilots, and 35 more certified pilots sit on our freelance bench for jobs that need a dedicated operator.
Usually yes. Controlled airspace needs a LAANC authorization, which we file ahead of the shoot day along with the flight plan, and we coordinate with the venue or local authorities when the location calls for it. Some airspace is closed to drones outright, and we will tell you that before you book rather than on the day.
When your DP flies it, the drone is an add-on to the crew rate rather than a second booking. A dedicated pilot day is priced like any other crew position, with the platform and any observer or assist quoted alongside it. Drone liability insurance is carried on the flight.
Same-week is routine and next-day is often possible in major markets. Give us more lead time when the location sits in controlled airspace, since the authorization has to be filed and approved before anyone flies.
Yes, and that is most of what we do. Our largest aerial client runs one campaign through dozens of cities with a local staff DP flying in each one, which keeps the look consistent and takes travel cost out of the budget. We do the same overseas, having flown in 9 countries outside the US.
Tell us the city, the date and what you need from the air. We will tell you whether your DP can fly it or whether the day needs a dedicated pilot.
Book A Drone Crew